People who don't understand ocd

[Lish]

Hi everyone. Hope you're all ok. Today I contacted my health care service about going back for a little more CBT in order to rid myself of my compulsions and put a plan in order. In order to refer to this service, you have to talk on the phone with someone for 45 minutes and they will ask you questions.

I explained to her that I have OCD and GAD. I then explained that I have intrusive thoughts about harming others and myself and I have to do certain rituals in order to relieve myself from my anxiety. To which she replied 'why do you have thoughts about harming People? Do you think you're actually going to hurt someone? Do you think people are safe from you?' And 'are you definitely not suicidal? And 'let me give you the samaritans number just in case.' 

She also kept going on about my past and my childhood which is ALL I HEARD ABOUT in my previous therapy. I told her I don't care how I got OCD... I want help with how to cut out my rituals.

I tried to explain to her that NO this was not the case I have OCD.. a mental disorder which gets these thoughts stuck! It's a good job that I am able to recognize this stuff now as before them questions would have spiked me like crazy.

Just goes to show that even when you try your best to explain ocd.. to someone who doesn't have it it is a whole new world. It's a good job we all have each other.

Edited November 21, 2017 by Lish

[changemynametosomething]

never. ever. EVVER talk to a therapist or someone "in a similar job" about ocd if they ask those questions or you are not sure if they know what it is. 

i always ask THEM questions first. i get mad just reading your post? 

[Angst]

Hi Lish. Did you refer yourself to access to psychological therapies system which operates in England? I think that you might find that there are a set of questions which they ask whatever your manifestation of anxiety. It is a procedural requirement and I think it ‘covers them’ legally. The actual set of questions might vary area from area but I would not let it stop you accessing therapy. I seem to remember I was asked similar questions with checking and hoarding OCD.

[Lish]

Yes it's just the referral person at the nhs who has to ask these questions. I just kept telling her no it's ocd it's just my ocd but she didn't get it sadly. Luckily the therapists see that it is. It just shows that some people have no idea or understanding the difference between rational and irrational fears in ocd.

[PolarBear]

Unfortunately there are mental health professionals that simply don't understand what OCD is.

[JennieWren]

Unfortunately I had a bad experience during one of my many referral processes. I was interviewed by a psychiatric nurse. I told her that I was obsessing about my husband hurting my newborn baby. She offered me some 'advice'. This was to not let him look after the baby much, if it made me feel better. Can you imagine?

Later we talked about goals. I said my husband would like to take my eldest away on a camping trip without me. She acted as if this was a very odd, suspicious thing that my husband wanted to do, instead of completely natural and normal. In fact another nurse present challenged her on this.

if I hadn't already worked out on my own my problem, if I had been more vulnerable etc I could have ended up preventing my husband from looking after his own children. As we were going through hell already - the idea that I should be pushing him away more and taking on MORE responsibility is in my mind irresponsible even if she was well meaning and nice.

It feels to me like the staff doing the processing for referral don't always have a good enough/any understanding of OCD and the correct treatment for it. 

[Lish]

It is very unfortunate how some people just don't understand ocd! I could tell today the lady on the phone was taken aback by some things I was saying. She didn't know what to say at some points. She even asked 'what do you mean you have thoughts of harming people' which I then had to explain they were INTRUSIVE thoughts that got stuck. 

It is such a good job there is this community where we can all talk about ocd. It can get very lonely sometimes. Apart from this forum, and until i receive a little more CBT,I have no support for my ocd. Nobody in my life understands the condition or why I have it.

[JennieWren]

No-one should have to explain this condition to a mental health professional. It's not as if it's exceptionally rare! Really frustrating. Saying that I have come across some exceptional people within the NHS, who have helped me more in one session...

yes it's a bit lonely. I am grateful to be high functioning but it means people are even more surprised when I say I have OCD and I think because I'm acting happy and normal I actually am, and it's no big deal. I feel lucky to have come across this forum but also wonder how more people outside of this bubble could be educated.